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LIBfiARY OF CONGRESS. 



dlptjt,- Sapjrtgfjt ^fn. 

Shelf ..aTEJ) 

UNITED STATES OF AMEEICA. 



PARLIAMENTARY 



TACTICS, 



RULES OF ORDER 



BY w. B. GRUBBS, Jr. 



CINCINNATI, OHIO. 

Klui Street Printing Company, No. 176 Elm Street. 

1890. 



V 



PARLIAMENTARY 



TACTICS, 



RULES OF ORDER, 



By W. B. GRUBBS, Jr. 




CINCINNATI, OHIO. 
Elm Street Printing Company, No. 176 Elm Street. 






Entered according to Act of Congress 

by W. B. GRUBBS, Jb , 

in thk Year 1890, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, 

Washington, D. C. 



Explanation of Tables. 



I. Motions are classified as to — 

1. Whether they require a second or not. 

2. Whether they are in order or not when an- 

other has the floor. 

3. Whether they require a two-thirds vote or 

onlv a majority. 

4. Whether they are debatable or not. See first 

column. 

5. Whether they open the main question or not. 

See second column. 

6. Whether they may be reconsidered or not. 

See third column. 
II. What Subsidiary or Secondary Motions may be 
applied, directly or indirectly? 

1. Whether " Lie on the Table " applies or not 

See fifth column. 

2. Whether "Previous Question" applies or not. 

See sixth column. 

3. Whether ''Postpone to a Definite or Certain 

Time" applies or not. See seventh column. 

4. Whether " Commit (refer or recommit) applies 

or not. See eighth column. 

5. Whether "Amend and Insert. Strike Out, Sub- 

stitute and Divide applies or n<>t. See ninth 
column. 

(4) 



[5] 

6. Whether " Postpone Indefinitely " applies or 
not. See tenth column. 

In the notes may be found other motions 
that may be used secondarily. 
III. What class the motion belongs to, whether — 

Privileged, Pd.; Incidental, I.; Subsidiary, S.; 
Accidental, A.; or Original; Principal or Main 
Question. 
The signs used are x, being substituted for the posi- 
tive -{-, denoting the affirmative, and the negative sign, 
— , denoting the negative answer. And the repetition 
mark. The numbers and letters refer to the notes. 
Brackets are used for grouping. 



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Notes on Debate. 



1. Remarks are sometimes tacitly allowed on unde- 
batable questions, but without any reference to the 
main question. 

2. The objection can only be made when the question 
is first introduced, and before debate has commenced. 

3. An affirmative vote on this question cuts off 
debate and brings the assembly to a vote on the pend- 
ing question or questions and their appendages. The 
motions to be put in the reverse order in which they 
w r ere moved, but its effect is exhausted on "Postpone 
Definitely or Indefinitely " if they are pending. 

4. Limited debate allowed, but only on the propriety 
of postponement. 

5. Becomes an original question, if no other question 
is before the assembly, and is debatable. 

6. If qualified (viz.: as to time), it is debatable like 
other original questions. 

7. Undebatable if the "Previous Question " is pend- 
ing. 

OPENING THE MAIN QUESTION TO DEBATE. 

8. As indicated in Table, three motions open to debate 
the main question, viz.: "Commit (recommit and 
refer)," "Reconsider" and "Postpone Indefinitely. 

RECONSIDER. 

9. No motion can be reconsidered a second time. 
10. An affirmative vote on this motion can not be 
reconsidered. 

(10) 



Notes on Subsidiary Motions 



a. — Generally speaking, subsidiary motions are not 
applicable to questions that in their essence require 
immediate action or decision, either by the chair 
or assembly, piling up motions one upon another 
as it were, thereby causing unnecessary delay ; or 
where the affirmative vote on one is equivalent to 
the negative on the other, or e. converso. 

b. — This, in one sense, is not purely a motion, since 
there is no vote taken on it, and the chair immedi- 
ately decides whether the point of order is, or is 
not, well taken, and there the matter drops, unless 
an appeal is taken, and if taken, the vote on the 
appeal decides the point of order. Consequently, 
Subsidary. Motions are not applicable. 

c. — This motion requires that the chair immediately put 
the question : " Will the assembly now proceed to 
the Orders of the Day?" and thereby stops the 
application of Subsidiary Motions thereon. 

d. — Subsidiary Motions are not applicable, because 
question proposed to be taken up is not yet before 
the assembly ; an immediate vote on the motion is 
forced on the assembly. 

e. — May be applied in a secondary sense to debatable 
questions and those opened to debate. " Extend 
the Limits," etc., to questions upon which debate 
has been limited. 

f. — " Reconsider " can not be regarded as a Subsidiary 

Motion in its pure sense, because it is not applied 

to the motions themselves, but to the vote upon 

which the question or questions were disposed of. 

(11) 



[ 12 ] 

g. — " Fix the Time," etc., if no other question is before 
the assembly, and "Adjourn," if qualified, both 
become original motions, and Subsidiary Motions 
apply. 

h. — "Appeal " can not be regarded as a Subsidiary 
Motion, since it is not applied to another motion, 
but to a decision of the chair. 

i. — Subsidiary Motions can not be applied to this motion, 
because it is incidental, and takes precedence over 
them ; or, in other words, must be first voted on. 
("Appeal in general" being an exception.) 
"lie on the table." 

/ — May be applied to questions giving rise to dissen- 
sions, or to take the sense on them the assembly 
wishes to avoid ; and also to debatable questions 
and those opened to debate. 

k. — Would be incompatible with the property which 
the motion has of being renewable at a new stage 
of the proceedings. 

" PREVIOUS QUESTION." 

/. — May be applied to debatable questions and those 

opened to debate. 
m. — Is exhausted on this motion. 
n. — This and other Subsidiary Motions are applicable 

if the motion is debatable. 

"POSTPONE TO A DEFINITE OR CERTAIN TIME." 

o. — The order of precedence interferes, and, even if it 
did not, the introduction would be equivalent to an 
amendment; but "Postponed indefinitely" can not 
be amended. 



[ 13] 
" commit (refer or recommit)." 

/. — Generally applied to motions that can be amended, 
and also to questions that give rise to party feeling 
or other dissensions. 

q. — A question may (it would seem) be recommitted 
(to same or other committee) as often as the assem- 
bly see fit, and until the question is modified to 
suit its wishes, since every time the question is 
reported by a committee, it stands as though it was 
being introduced for the first time, but on general 
principles the second commitment should suffice- 

r. — Nothing to commit. 

s.— Ways to amend — insert, strike out, strike out and 
insert (same or different words), substitute and 
divide. 

t. — Only by giving instructions to, or altering, the com- 
mittee. 

u. — Only as to time. 

v. — An amendment of an amendment can not be 
amended. 

POSTPONE INDEFINITELY. 

w. — Can not be applied when either of the other Sub- 
sidiary Motions are pending, because they take 
precedence of it, and in the order given in the 
table. 

xy. — Can not, because a negative vote should be equiva- 
lent. 

xz. — Can not, because it can be renewed after the intro- 
duction of a motion that alters the state of affairs. 



Miscellaneous Rules. 



A member can not speak against his motion, but 
may vote against it. 

The chairman has a right to vote, when his vote will 
break a tie, or alter the result. 

A member can not vote when the result afreets him- 
self, for he would then be acting judicially on his own 
case. 

A member reporting a measure has the right to close 
the debate on the same. 

Receiving a report is not the same as "Accepting" or 
"Adopting." 

The proper motions in Con}mittee of the Whole are: 
"Amend," "Adopt."' "Close Debate," •"Committee 
Rise," or " Rise and Report." 

Nominations need no seconds. 

A call of the house is to ascertain if there is a quorum 
present. 

One or two speeches should be allowed of ten min- 
utes each, unless otherwise provided for. 

The preamble to a measure is the last thing to be 
considered. 

All societies should have a journal with minutes. 

If " Lie on the Table " is ordered while the minutes 
are being discussed, the minutes are not laid on the 
table in consequence. 

(14) 



(Seaeral (Llassifi cation of DyCotioas and Their 
©rder of ^Precedence. 



PRIVILEGED MOTIONS 

(Interrupt the proceedings and must receive immediate attention. Are 
sometimes original questions.) 

I. 1. " Fix the time to which to adjourn." Is 
original if no other question is before the 
assembly. 
II. 2. "Adjourn" (when unqualified). Is original 
if qualified, viz.: as to time. 
3. " Questions of privilege. 1 ' (Rights of the 
assembly or &m> members. See Law and 
Practice of Legislative Assemblies, Crush- 
ing, gl503— |— , for questions of privilege.) 
III. 4. " Orders of the Day " (general or special). 

INCIDENTAL MOTIONS 

(Arise at any time, and must be attended to. They can not be applied to 
each other in a secondary sense.) 

5. Appeal to (Questions of Order). 

6. Objection to the Consideration of the Ques- 

tion. 

7. Reading Papers. 

8. Withdraw a Motion. 

9. Suspend the Rules. 

(15) 



[ 16 ] 



ACCIDE N T A L MOT IONS 

(Differ from Incidental Motions, in that they partake more of the nature 
of, and may be Original. Subsidiary or Incidental.] 

f Reconsider. Similar to Subsidiary Motions, 
and takes precedence to "Orders of 
the Day." 

Make Subject an Order (general or special) 

Priority of Business, Questions of. 

Amend an Amendment. 

Amend the Rules. 

Take up Seriatim (in general order). 

Take up a Question out of its Proper Order. 

Take from the Table— from "Lie on the 
Table." 

Close Debate on Question. 

Limit Debate on Question. 
10. ■{ Extend the Limits of Debate on Question. 

Leave to Continue Speaking after Indec- 
orum. 

r Incidental, Accident- 
al and Subsidiary Mo- 
tions are so related and 
I cross each other, that 
| it is sometimes hard to 
{ draw the line of differ- 
i ence. They may be 
I changed by rate "from 
one to the other, giving 
or taking properties of 
I each other. 



Adopt, accept or agree 
to report of com- 
mittee. 



Excuse from Voting. 
Open, or Close, Nominations. 
Filling Blanks. 

Yeas and Nays, and Balloting, etc. 
[ Take a Recess. Is said to be independent 



[ 17] 

SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS 

<Are applied to other questions, in order to dispose of them according to 
the sense of the assembly.) 

IV. 11. Lie on the Table. 
V. 12. Previous Question. (See Roberts R. of O. 
on P. Q^, Reconsider and Commit.) 
VI. 13. Postpone to a Definite or Certain Time. 
VII. 14. Commit (refer or recommit). (Assembly 
may resolve itself into Committee of the 
Whole, act informally, or have committees, 
standing or select.) 
VIII. 15. Amend. (See American Manual on Amend.) 
IX. 16. Postpone indefinitely. 

Resultant Questions — only arise where there are two 
legislative branches, and upon joint rules. (1) Agree. 
(2) Disagree. (3) Recede. (4) Insist. (5) Adhere. 
Recede reverse of insist. Adhere may follow. 

RECAPITULATE. 

MAIN QUESTION, PRINCIPAL MOTION. 

I. a. Original; b, privileged (which maybe original). 
II. c. Subsidiary or Secondary; d, Incidental; e, Acci- 
dental. 
III. Resultant Questions. 



Motions Classified According to Their Object 

No. of motion in second table. 

1. To Modify or Amend. .4. (13, 36), 12, (31, 34). 

2. ToOpenorRenewDebatel2, (31, 34), 32, 25. 

3. To Continue Debate. . L5. 

4. To Suppress Debate ... .27, 11, 20. 

5. To Suppress the Questional 25, 19. 

6. To Defer Action 26, L9. 

7. To Consider a Sec'nd Time. 32, 33. 

8. Order and Rules (10, 24). (21, 35), 22. :;7: 

Questions of Order. 7. 8 

9. Miscellaneous Other motions whose 

numbers are not here 
inserted. 
10. To Close Meeting, sitting. (2, 16), 1 — qualified or 

unqualified, 
or Session 1 — Sine die. 

RENEWAL OF MOTIONS. 

"Adjourn" can not be renewed until after some sub- 
stantial progress in debate or business. Other motions 
can be renewed after the introduction of any motion or 
motions that- alters the state of affairs, except original 
motions, but the vote upon which they were disposed 
of may be reconsidered. 

Actions of the assembly, the result of a decided 
vote, of which the guilt or innocence of a member is 
concerned, or which partakes of the nature of a contract. 
can not be renewed, repealed or reconsidered. 

EFFECT OF VOTING. 

The effect of a vote on most of the motions is easily 
understood, but sometimes is rather intricate, viz.: the 
affirmative vote of " Lie on the Table " places the ques- 
tion and all its appendages — (/. e., whatever motions 
adhere J — on the speakers or chairman's table. The 
negative vote leaves the question as though the motion 
(18) 



[ 19 1 

had not been introduced. The affirmative vote on 
" Previous Question " stops debate and forces a vote on 
the question and its appendages, but the appendages 
are to be voted on first, and in the reverse order in 
which they were moved. The negative vote leaves the 
question as it was. The effect of an adjournment upon 
unfinished business of the meeting makes the same bus- 
iness the next in order after reading the minutes, unless 
it materially interferes \yith the rules in the Order of 
Business. And likewiseythere are two or more sessions 
a year, but if any of the members are elected i as for 
legislative bodies) whose term expires prior to the next 
session, then the unfinished business is as if it had not 
been brought before the assembly. 

VOTING. 

There are various methods of voting, -viz.: rising, 
viva voce, balloting, and the yea and nay vote. For a 
full outline see American Manual. 

QUORUM. 

Is always a majority, unless otherwise fixed by rule, 
both in the assembly and Committee of the Whole. 
(The Code of Rules of the Fifty-first Congress makes 
one hundred a quorum in Committee of Whole.) 

Filling Blanks. — In filling blanks the longest time 
and greatest amount are used, on the principle " that 
the greater includes the less." 

ORDER OF BUSINESS. 

(1) Call to Order. (2) Roll Call (and noting absent- 
ees). (3) Reading the Minutes of the Previous Meeting 
(and approval). (4) Report of Standing Committees. 
(5) Report of Select Committees. (6) Unfinished 
Business. (7) New Business. (8j Any other Import- 
ant Matter to Offer. (9) Close. 

The organizing of mass-meetings into a society, or 



[20 ] 

an assembly of delegates into a convention, have been 
fully treated of in other more voluminous works, and 
the next thing is a 

CONSTITUTION. 

It should contain only essential matters. (1) The 
name (if a corporation, the corporate name). (2) The 
object. (3) Qualifi cation of members. (4) The offi- 
cers, their eligibility to office, their election and duties 
in (brief)./ (5) S ess i o n s . n "d p e rh a p s meetings, amend- 
ments a|tfvT>te*i, and next the^previous notice. 

BY-LAWS. 

Should contain all other important matters, viz.: 
Admitting members (whether by ballot or otherwise), 
the duties, nomination and election of officers in detail. 
the punishment of members for non-attendance, etc., 
the punishment of officers for mis-feasance or non-fea- 
sance, the meetings (when and where), amendments 
thereto (previous notice and a two-third vote). The 
quorum might also be put in the By-Laws ; also what 
number can order the yea and nay vote {in Congress one- fifth 
of the members can order the yea and nay vote). 

Note — The duties of the presiding officer to a member, and the 
duties of other officers, are fully treated in the American Manual. 

Standing Rules may also exist in the form of resolu- 
tions, etc. 

Rules of Order contain rules relating to the transac- 
tion of business and disposing of questions — and should 
be some good work — and may be amended by previous 
notice and two-third vote. 

LEGAL RIGHTS OF AN ASSEMBLY. 

An assembly has the legal right to punish its mem- 
bers, eject a member or other person, and try its 
members. The legal right of a corporation is governed 
by its charter, and general law. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



III 



III 



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